| From: Karen Lewellen via talk <talk@gtalug.org> | That is a fine resource. it stateshowever that while the practice of asking | for a SIN in private company sectors is strongly discouraged, it is not | illegal. | Which is a dreadful shame, because I have encountered more than my share of | real estate agents who refuse services if not given a sin. Real-estate agents now have FINTRAC obligations. Perhaps they need a SIN for that. <https://www.fintrac-canafe.gc.ca/guidance-directives/transaction-operation/indicators-indicateurs/real_mltf-eng> | What is more, I know first hand from a bell Senior corporate staff member that | at least for a while bell used the request to screen out mobile applicants who | were not Canadian Citizens. To what end? Why should they care? In the US, my son found it hard to do a lot of things without being a citizen or having a green card. Even though he legally held a good job. Postpaid phones do involve granting credit but prepaid ones do not. If you grant credit, you might want all sorts of assurances. Maybe in that case you don't want people who could be kicked out of the country. | I wonder why, especially in this data stealing age, the practice is not firmly | against the law? Yes. And the boundaries clearly marked.